Elephant Madhuri Relocated to Vantara: Supreme Court Upholds Welfare Over Custom
Supreme Court Intervenes for Madhuri’s Welfare In a landmark decision prioritising animal welfare over long-standing religious customs, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the Ministry of Environment’s High Powered Committee (HPC) order to relocate Elephant Madhuri , also known as Mahadevi, from a Mutt in Kolhapur to the Vantara facility in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The transfer, completed per the Court’s directives, followed years of documented welfare violations and a string of legal proceedings. Documented Abuse and Legal Violations Animal welfare NGO PETA India had been closely monitoring Madhuri’s condition since 2022. On 31 October 2023, they filed a detailed complaint to the HPC, appending veterinary reports, photographs, and other records highlighting both physical injuries and psychological distress inflicted upon the elephant. Notably, the complaint revealed: 13 unauthorised transfers between Maharashtra and Telangana (2012–2023) Commercial exploitation in public p...